Phryganistria

Phryganistria is a genus of stick insects belonging to the subfamily Clitumninae, native to northeastern South Asia, northern Mainland Southeast Asia, and southern China.^[1] The species in this genus range in size from fairly large to very large.^[2]

Phryganistria
Phryganistria tamdaoensis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Phasmatodea
Family:	Phasmatidae
Tribe:	Pharnaciini
Genus:	Phryganistria Stål, 1875
Type species
Phryganistria sarmentosa Westwood, 1848

The world's longest stick insect (which also makes it the longest known insects) is a currently undescribed species from Guangxi, China, informally referred to as Phryganistria "chinensis". A wild collected female kept at the Insect Museum of West China was the record holder at 62.4 centimetres (24.6 in) in total length (including extended legs),^[3] but it was surpassed by one of its captive bred young that reached 64 centimetres (25 in).^[4][5] The second-largest member of the genus likely is Phryganistria heusii yentuensis, with a total length of up to 52 centimetres (20 in) and a body length up to 32 centimetres (13 in).^[2][6] Another, Phryganistria tamdaoensis was selected in 2015 by the International Institute for Species Exploration as one of the "Top 10 New Species" for new species discovered in 2014.^[7]